Where does “unhelpable” come from?
unhelpable (English) comes from English helpable, from English able, from Middle English able, from Old French able, from Latin habilis, from Latin -ilis, from Proto-Italic -elis, from Proto-Indo-European -elis — Forms agent nouns from verbal roots.
unhelpable (English): Incapable of being helped
Definitions
- Incapable of being helped
Ancestry of “unhelpable”, step by step
unhelpable traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English helpable
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | helpable | Capable of being helped |
| 2 | English | able | Easy to use; Suitable; competent; Liable to |
| 3 | Middle English | able | capable, expert, qualified, skilful, competent |
| 4 | Old French | able | able; capable |
| 5 | Latin | habilis | able to have/possess/maintain; having sufficient... |
| 6 | Latin | -ilis | -ile |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | -elis | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -elis | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |
via English un
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | un | One |